The days of the passenger sternwheelers and ferries on Okanagan Lake are remembered well by Bob Williams of Kelowna.

Starting as first a waiter on the "Okanagan" in 1924, he worked his way up to deckhand and finally skipper, working on many of the boats which were such an integral part of passenger and freight travel until construction of the Okanagan Lake Bridge.

After 36 years on the lake, Williams became the lift span operator on the bridge until 1970 when he retired.

Born in Peachland in 1905, he later came to Kelowna with his parents. (Note 1)

In the 1920's jobs were not easy to come by in this area and many young men had to turn to one of the steadiest though hardest jobs around - working on the sternwheelers.

Williams and his brothers, Lloyd and Ed, all got jobs on the ships.

In 1924, he began as a relief waiter on The "Okanagan", then in 1927 joined the CNR "Pentowna" as a deckhand.

"We worked all hours of the day and night. It was very grim hours," he says.

He became Captain on the Pentowna but later started working for the CPR ferries where "conditions were better."

He joined the B.C. Government ferries in 1947, and worked on the Fraser River, Kootenay Lake, and Francois Lake as well as the Okanagan Lake.

In all his years on the boats, he says he never heard of any worker drowning, but he himself did take an unexpected and very cold tumble into the lake in January one year.

He also says that not once during his 46-year career over the lake did he ever see Ogopogo.

He took over operation of the bridge lift span in 1959 until 1970.

NOTES:

1. Bob was the eldest of three boys born to Hugh Williams and Annie B. Black.